And the crowd went wild as Steve "President for Life" Jobs of Apple Computer came out on the stage to emcee the now-annual September music sales pitch, with loads of new stuff; in the biggest news, the iPod Nano got a video camera and FM radio, and Steve showed off the new iTunes Ver 9 management software; he also showed off the iPhone OS 3.1, available for download, which actually recommends apps you might like, has better synching for music and video, and lets you save video from email attachments into your playlist, aka Camera Roll.
Apple cut the prices of its old iPod models just hours ahead of announcing new iPod models; the price of the 32-gigabyte iPod Touch was cut $120 to $279, or 9,500 baht in real money; a 120-gig iPod Classic now costs $229, a $20 cut by the generous folks who run Apple. Palm introduced a smaller,cheaper smartphone than the successful Pre; the Pixi, as it's called, is aimed at younger users; it's slimmer, has a smaller screen, but features a Qwerty keyboard,8GB of memory and a two-megapixel camera.
US President Barack Obama, in a controversial school-time speech to most US children, advised them to be careful about what they put on Facebook and other social networks;"Whatever you do, it will be pulled up again later somewhere in your life," he warned.
First Solar of America signed a contract with the Chinese government to build the world's largest solar power plant in Inner Mongolia; assuming it is built, the Ordos City plant will push out 2,000 megawatts of electricity,around four times the size of the projects being built by the US Army in the Mojave Desert and by First Solar in California;the China project isn't near anything much; Ordos City is a coal-producing,eight-year-old, planned low-carbon development with about 1.5 million residents, roughly 800km west of Beijing.
Networking firm Huawei of China,which has suffered a scandal or two in its Thailand work, was stung to the quick by mean stories in the Australian media that it might be tied to the Chinese espionage services; Guo Fulin, managing director of Huawei in Australia, was hurt by the insensitive stories that his company was under investigation by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation; Huawei is a public-owned company, he said, and it is unthinkable that any government agency would be using Huawei to conduct spying.
The government of Cuba took a huge security gamble, and authorised post offices to provide Internet access to the public - just in case the Cuban government ever authorises the public to use the Internet at some point in the future; the only public access currently allowed is to an inside-Cuba intranet for email, provided by post offices at a cost of the equivalent of 55 baht an hour, in a country where the average wage is 680 baht a month.
Japan fired an unmanned cargo craft into orbit; the 16.5-tonne unmanned H-II Transfer Vehicle (HTV) is on a mission to re-supply the space station;it will stay up there to continue ferrying stuff to the US shuttle fleet next year.
Prime Minister Gordon Brown publicly apologised for the way that people treated World War Two code-breaker and extraordinary computer geek Alan Turing for being gay; Turing was prosecuted for homosexual conduct in 1952,and a mere two years later, he committed suicide;"I am pleased to have the chance how deeply sorry I and we all are," said Mr Brown.
Google , which plans to give away grazillions of books in order to get the (commercial) goods on its customers,offered to let all its opponents have a piece of the action;Amazon.com , which wants to sell grazillions of books to make tonnes of money directly, scoffed.Rupert Murdoch, the American media mogul, began collecting money at the tollgate to his news sites, in an interesting experiment to see if people will actually pay for news on the Net.
IBM, Microsoft, Oracle Corp and Google all responded to a plaintive "Help" from the Newspaper Association of America on how to get money from customers who don't want to pay for news; Randy Bennett, who is the senior president for vice in newspapers, said he's looking over 11 different proposals on how to squeeze money out of you;Google, to no one's surprise, offered to put all newspapers behind one vast,semi-expensive firewall, because that would be so convenient for everyone to just pay one company one time, and then Google would spread the money around; sure, that ought to work.
South African technology firm Unlimited IT dispatched Winston, a pigeon,from its office in Pietermaritzburg, with some data for its main hub in Durban strapped to the bird's leg; it took Winston one hour and eight minutes to fly the data card; meanwhile, Unlimited IT tried to send the same data via the speedchallenged Internet connections provided by leading Internet Telkom , and that download was four percent finished by the time Winston arrived; so it's not only countries that start with "T" that have Internet problems.
T-Mobile of Germany and Orange of France merged their yuppiephone operations in Britain, creating a new $13.5 billion company with 28.4 mobile phone customers; the Deutsche Telekom-France Telecom venture will be the biggest provider in the UK, with a 37 percent market share, larger than O2 of Telefonica.
Friday, September 25, 2009
Sony sale
Sony Thailand will hold a three-day "Warehouse Sale" during September 25-27 at Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre.
TVs, home theatre systems, CyberShot cameras, handy cams, digital frames,Vio notebooks, MP3 players and Sony Ericsson mobile phones are offered at up to 80% discounts.
TVs, home theatre systems, CyberShot cameras, handy cams, digital frames,Vio notebooks, MP3 players and Sony Ericsson mobile phones are offered at up to 80% discounts.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
BHARTI-MTN DEAL FACES REGULATORY HURDLE
India's top mobile firm Bharti Airtel and South African cellular flagship MTN are ready to sign a tie-up deal but regulatory issues could stymie a final agreement, reports said yesterday.
"The deal is all set, agreed and legally ready to be signed," the Business Standard newspaper quoted an unnamed source close to negotiations as saying.
But the Business Standard and The Economic Times say a final agreement could be blocked by the issue of whether India would allow the merged company to be listed on both the Indian and South African stock exchanges.
A dual-listed company (DLCs) involves two listed companies that have different sets of shareholders but share ownership of a single business operation. South Africa allows dual listing while India does not.
The South African government, which indirectly holds over 21 per cent in MTN, said earlier this month it was unwilling to sacrifice the firm's "South African character" and raised the possibility of dual listing as a compromise.
Indian media reports say the two firms have worked out details of the proposed US$23 billion (Bt777 billion) cash-and-share swap deal. The merged company would have over 200 million subscribers and $20 billion in annual revenues.
But allowing DLCs would involve substantial changes in India's foreign exchange and stock-market laws and full cabinet approval, the reports said.
A Bharti Airtel spokesman had no comment.
The Economic Times said the issue was expected to be raised at a meeting between Premier Manmohan Singh and South African President Jacob Zuma on the sidelines of a G-20 summit in the US city of Pittsburgh this week.
The newspaper said Singh was likely to indicate the Indian government's support for the deal but added it was unclear whether he could give any assurance on changing India's legislation to allow dual-listed companies.
The Economic Times quoted Vincent Magwenya, a spokesman for Zuma, as saying the deal's future was dependent on whether "all regulatory requirements and other considerations in both countries" could be met.
The 15-year-old MTN is South Africa's largest telecoms company with 103 million subscribers in 21 countries.
A merger between the two would create the world's third-largest mobile-phone operator by subscribers that would straddle Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
"The deal is all set, agreed and legally ready to be signed," the Business Standard newspaper quoted an unnamed source close to negotiations as saying.
But the Business Standard and The Economic Times say a final agreement could be blocked by the issue of whether India would allow the merged company to be listed on both the Indian and South African stock exchanges.
A dual-listed company (DLCs) involves two listed companies that have different sets of shareholders but share ownership of a single business operation. South Africa allows dual listing while India does not.
The South African government, which indirectly holds over 21 per cent in MTN, said earlier this month it was unwilling to sacrifice the firm's "South African character" and raised the possibility of dual listing as a compromise.
Indian media reports say the two firms have worked out details of the proposed US$23 billion (Bt777 billion) cash-and-share swap deal. The merged company would have over 200 million subscribers and $20 billion in annual revenues.
But allowing DLCs would involve substantial changes in India's foreign exchange and stock-market laws and full cabinet approval, the reports said.
A Bharti Airtel spokesman had no comment.
The Economic Times said the issue was expected to be raised at a meeting between Premier Manmohan Singh and South African President Jacob Zuma on the sidelines of a G-20 summit in the US city of Pittsburgh this week.
The newspaper said Singh was likely to indicate the Indian government's support for the deal but added it was unclear whether he could give any assurance on changing India's legislation to allow dual-listed companies.
The Economic Times quoted Vincent Magwenya, a spokesman for Zuma, as saying the deal's future was dependent on whether "all regulatory requirements and other considerations in both countries" could be met.
The 15-year-old MTN is South Africa's largest telecoms company with 103 million subscribers in 21 countries.
A merger between the two would create the world's third-largest mobile-phone operator by subscribers that would straddle Africa, Asia and the Middle East.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
A HERO'S WELCOME
The latest offering from HTC, the Taiwan-based manufacturer of portable devices that's going from strength to strength, is the Hero smartphone. It's the third in the company's A Series, and is a big jump from the recent Dream and Magic (which it replaces) models in terms of design - both internally and externally. But can it rival the iPhone and the Palm Pre in the Thai smartphone market? Let's take a closer look.
Visually, the model is instantly appealing with its chiselled clean lines and bevelled edges. It appears modern, stylish and durable; quite a jump from previous HTC models. The distinguishing feature is the angled base, or "chin", which has drawn both criticism and praise from gadget fondlers worldwide. While ruining the contoured flatness of the phone, it also protects the screen and tracking ball from scratching when you drop the phone or place it "flat" on its face. It also enables the phone to nestle nicely in the palm of your hand, and its robust 135g gives an overall feeling of strength.
In terms of usability, the dimensions of the model enable single-handed operation. However, bad positioning of the back and search buttons will give right-handers thumb cramps or worse. The four buttons across the top of the chin are well placed, but could be a little bigger. Also on the chin is the slightly undersized but effective track ball that flashes nicely when you receive a call or text message.
Feature-wise, the impressive 3.2-inch, 320x480 HVGA screen has an oleophobic coating, the same as its iPhone 3GS rival, that deters fingerprint smudging. It is also nicely sensitive, requiring only a light touch to activate. Although it boasts five megapixels, the camera takes dull and grainy photos, and the track ball works as a slippery shutter button. The speaker is adequate for a phone of this level, but falls short of the Nokia N97's speaker, although - finally - a 3.5mm headphone jack is included. The 1,350mAh battery requires daily charging without excessive usage - a similar performance to the iPhone 3GS but worse than the Palm Pre after battery tweaks.
Inside, the specs of the Hero are almost the same as those of the model it replaces - the big difference is the software upgrade. HTC has stayed committed to open source software and has come up with Android 1.5, which it calls HTC Sense. The new and vastly improved operating system supports Adobe Flash and is compatible with social networks - namely Facebook, Twitter and Flickr - which are well integrated into the software and multimedia features of the phone. The keyboard is easy to use in landscape mode, and the predictive text function makes typing and web browsing very manageable, however, users must open and close the keyboard themselves. Searching for contacts is fast and intuitive, and the widgets are easy to manage and use, especially the toggle controls for network connectivity, which gets a big tick. The seven-panel homescreen might perhaps be a little excessive with the hardware limitations, but time will tell, as a firmware update has been promised. Another aspect that has been thrown around is the lag issue, which was apparent in the demo model, but others have reported much less lag.
Overall, the HTC Hero is a wake-up call to major phone manufacturers who have enjoyed an oligopoly on the market for too long. The battle for phone operating systems is heating up, and Apple has traditionally dominated this with its iPhone software. But as the Android OS draws level, only the hardware in the models of the other manufacturers such as HTC holds them back now. With better hardware specs, the Hero could have gone ahead of the pack here, but it's still a strong sign of things to come from the HTC camp.
The HTC Hero, priced at 22,900 baht, is available from Hardware House, Pantip Plaza, Phetchaburi Road, call 02-685-8936.
Visually, the model is instantly appealing with its chiselled clean lines and bevelled edges. It appears modern, stylish and durable; quite a jump from previous HTC models. The distinguishing feature is the angled base, or "chin", which has drawn both criticism and praise from gadget fondlers worldwide. While ruining the contoured flatness of the phone, it also protects the screen and tracking ball from scratching when you drop the phone or place it "flat" on its face. It also enables the phone to nestle nicely in the palm of your hand, and its robust 135g gives an overall feeling of strength.
In terms of usability, the dimensions of the model enable single-handed operation. However, bad positioning of the back and search buttons will give right-handers thumb cramps or worse. The four buttons across the top of the chin are well placed, but could be a little bigger. Also on the chin is the slightly undersized but effective track ball that flashes nicely when you receive a call or text message.
Feature-wise, the impressive 3.2-inch, 320x480 HVGA screen has an oleophobic coating, the same as its iPhone 3GS rival, that deters fingerprint smudging. It is also nicely sensitive, requiring only a light touch to activate. Although it boasts five megapixels, the camera takes dull and grainy photos, and the track ball works as a slippery shutter button. The speaker is adequate for a phone of this level, but falls short of the Nokia N97's speaker, although - finally - a 3.5mm headphone jack is included. The 1,350mAh battery requires daily charging without excessive usage - a similar performance to the iPhone 3GS but worse than the Palm Pre after battery tweaks.
Inside, the specs of the Hero are almost the same as those of the model it replaces - the big difference is the software upgrade. HTC has stayed committed to open source software and has come up with Android 1.5, which it calls HTC Sense. The new and vastly improved operating system supports Adobe Flash and is compatible with social networks - namely Facebook, Twitter and Flickr - which are well integrated into the software and multimedia features of the phone. The keyboard is easy to use in landscape mode, and the predictive text function makes typing and web browsing very manageable, however, users must open and close the keyboard themselves. Searching for contacts is fast and intuitive, and the widgets are easy to manage and use, especially the toggle controls for network connectivity, which gets a big tick. The seven-panel homescreen might perhaps be a little excessive with the hardware limitations, but time will tell, as a firmware update has been promised. Another aspect that has been thrown around is the lag issue, which was apparent in the demo model, but others have reported much less lag.
Overall, the HTC Hero is a wake-up call to major phone manufacturers who have enjoyed an oligopoly on the market for too long. The battle for phone operating systems is heating up, and Apple has traditionally dominated this with its iPhone software. But as the Android OS draws level, only the hardware in the models of the other manufacturers such as HTC holds them back now. With better hardware specs, the Hero could have gone ahead of the pack here, but it's still a strong sign of things to come from the HTC camp.
The HTC Hero, priced at 22,900 baht, is available from Hardware House, Pantip Plaza, Phetchaburi Road, call 02-685-8936.
MOTOROLA BIDS ITS WAY BACK THROUGH JAY MART
US handset-maker Motorola will be aggressively tapping Thailand's mobile phone market with the aim of winnng at least 5 per cent market share this year, Robert van Tilburg, the company's regional director of sales, mobile devices for Southeast Asia, said yesterday.
The firm has been less active in Thailand over the past year, because of the restructuring of its mobile-phone business unit.
Mobile-phone industrialists estimate the total handset sales in Thailand this year to be between 8 million and 9 million units.
Motorola has already appointed Thailand's handset seller Jay Mart as its main distributor, though Tilburg declined to say if this was an exclusive deal.
Jay Mart has more than 200 branches, 29 IT junction outlets along with 800 dealers. Under the Motorola deal, Jay Mart will be overseeing inventory management and after-sales service.
The firm unveiled three new models yesterday - Motorala Aura worth Bt69,900, the 3G-smart Motorola A3100 worth Bt17,900 and Motorola ZN5 worth Bt5,900 - and plans to launch more next year.
A total of 14 Motorola models will have been launched this year.
The firm has been less active in Thailand over the past year, because of the restructuring of its mobile-phone business unit.
Mobile-phone industrialists estimate the total handset sales in Thailand this year to be between 8 million and 9 million units.
Motorola has already appointed Thailand's handset seller Jay Mart as its main distributor, though Tilburg declined to say if this was an exclusive deal.
Jay Mart has more than 200 branches, 29 IT junction outlets along with 800 dealers. Under the Motorola deal, Jay Mart will be overseeing inventory management and after-sales service.
The firm unveiled three new models yesterday - Motorala Aura worth Bt69,900, the 3G-smart Motorola A3100 worth Bt17,900 and Motorola ZN5 worth Bt5,900 - and plans to launch more next year.
A total of 14 Motorola models will have been launched this year.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
"WALL STREET JOURNAL" TO CHARGE FOR MOBILE ACCESS
Rupert Murdoch, owner of The Wall Street Journal, announced plans yesterday to begin charging for access to the newspaper on mobile devices suche as the Blackberry or iPhone.
Murdoch, speaking to financial analysts at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia XVIII Conference in New York, also predicted that print newspapers would be extinct within 20 to 30 years, replaced by portable electronic readers.
"Starting in a month or two, people who are getting The Wall Street Journal on their Blackberry are going to be paying $2 (Bt67) a week," Murdoch said. "Same with the iPhone." Mobile access to the Journal would cost $1 a week for subscribers to the newspaper, the News Corp chairman and chief executive said.
News Corp, he added, was looking at ways to begin charging users of popular online video website Hulu.com.
News Corp is a partner in Hulu.com, a fast-growing rival to YouTube that offers full-length television shows and movies, along with The Walt Disney Co and NBC Universal.
"Are we looking at Hulu with a view to adding subscription services there and pay per view? Yes, we are looking at that," Murdoch said, although cautioning that "no decision had been made yet".
Murdoch dismissed suggestions that News Corp, which owns MySpace, the Fox television network, the 20th Century Fox movie studio and the STAR and SKY television networks, in addition to its newspaper properties, had become more of an entertainment empire than a news operation.
"We're living in a very complicated world in which news is more valuable than it has ever been," he said. "If we were Newspaper Corp I would say yes, we would certainly change [the name]."
He said "way over a million" people were paying for online access to The Wall Street Journal, numbers that are "expanding all the time".
Some 25,000 people have subscribed to read the Journal on Amazon's e-reader, the Kindle, he added.
Murdoch said he personally did not enjoy reading a newspaper on the Kindle but e-readers were the future of newspapers.
"I don't think it's months away, I think it's years away," he said of completing a satisfactory e-reader. "But I do certainly see the day when more people will be buying their newspapers on reading panels, portable, foldable panels, than buying it on crushed trees," he added.
"I think that is certainly coming. It may be 20 years before it totally replaces newspapers. It may be 30."
Murdoch, speaking to financial analysts at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia XVIII Conference in New York, also predicted that print newspapers would be extinct within 20 to 30 years, replaced by portable electronic readers.
"Starting in a month or two, people who are getting The Wall Street Journal on their Blackberry are going to be paying $2 (Bt67) a week," Murdoch said. "Same with the iPhone." Mobile access to the Journal would cost $1 a week for subscribers to the newspaper, the News Corp chairman and chief executive said.
News Corp, he added, was looking at ways to begin charging users of popular online video website Hulu.com.
News Corp is a partner in Hulu.com, a fast-growing rival to YouTube that offers full-length television shows and movies, along with The Walt Disney Co and NBC Universal.
"Are we looking at Hulu with a view to adding subscription services there and pay per view? Yes, we are looking at that," Murdoch said, although cautioning that "no decision had been made yet".
Murdoch dismissed suggestions that News Corp, which owns MySpace, the Fox television network, the 20th Century Fox movie studio and the STAR and SKY television networks, in addition to its newspaper properties, had become more of an entertainment empire than a news operation.
"We're living in a very complicated world in which news is more valuable than it has ever been," he said. "If we were Newspaper Corp I would say yes, we would certainly change [the name]."
He said "way over a million" people were paying for online access to The Wall Street Journal, numbers that are "expanding all the time".
Some 25,000 people have subscribed to read the Journal on Amazon's e-reader, the Kindle, he added.
Murdoch said he personally did not enjoy reading a newspaper on the Kindle but e-readers were the future of newspapers.
"I don't think it's months away, I think it's years away," he said of completing a satisfactory e-reader. "But I do certainly see the day when more people will be buying their newspapers on reading panels, portable, foldable panels, than buying it on crushed trees," he added.
"I think that is certainly coming. It may be 20 years before it totally replaces newspapers. It may be 30."
MS mobile upgrade
Microsoft, seeking to tap into the rapidly growing smart phone market, announced recently that new cellphones coming next month will feature an upgraded mobile operating system.
The Redmond, Washington-based software giant said mobile phones from its handset partners hitting stores on October 6 will be the first to feature Windows Mobile 6.5, the latest version of its mobile phone software.
The new phones, to be branded as "Windows Phones", will feature a redesigned Web browser and a free service called "My Phone," which allows users to back up contacts, messages and photos on a PC or the Internet.
Microsoft also announced plans to launch an online applications store,Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
It said a "wide variety" of applications will be available for the devices to be offered by hardware manufacturers in North America, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.
Other features include email using Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile and Microsoft Office Mobile, which allows users to open and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from their phone.
Microsoft's share of the market for smart phone operating systems fell to 9 percent in the second quarter from 12 percent a year ago, according to research firm Gartner.
Nokia's Symbian is the leader with a 51 percent share of the market according to Gartner, while RIM commands around 21 percent and Apple has increased its share to 13.3 percent from 2.8 percent a year ago.
Google's open-source Android is another new entry in the operating system space and the Internet giant has carved out a 2 percent market share.
The Redmond, Washington-based software giant said mobile phones from its handset partners hitting stores on October 6 will be the first to feature Windows Mobile 6.5, the latest version of its mobile phone software.
The new phones, to be branded as "Windows Phones", will feature a redesigned Web browser and a free service called "My Phone," which allows users to back up contacts, messages and photos on a PC or the Internet.
Microsoft also announced plans to launch an online applications store,Windows Marketplace for Mobile.
It said a "wide variety" of applications will be available for the devices to be offered by hardware manufacturers in North America, Europe, Latin America and the Asia-Pacific region.
Other features include email using Microsoft Office Outlook Mobile and Microsoft Office Mobile, which allows users to open and edit Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents from their phone.
Microsoft's share of the market for smart phone operating systems fell to 9 percent in the second quarter from 12 percent a year ago, according to research firm Gartner.
Nokia's Symbian is the leader with a 51 percent share of the market according to Gartner, while RIM commands around 21 percent and Apple has increased its share to 13.3 percent from 2.8 percent a year ago.
Google's open-source Android is another new entry in the operating system space and the Internet giant has carved out a 2 percent market share.
Smart ways to accessorise
Shop around online for the best deals on accessories for handheld devices, writes Jay Dougherty in Washington
Buy a cell phone, smartphone, or PDA today, and you'll quickly find that there is a plethora of products available that promise to make your experience with your handheld device better.
Some of these products are helpful,some are unnecessary, and some are downright indispensable. All of them,however, can be costly, especially if you're not careful about where you hand over your cash. So how can you separate the good deals from the bad? Read on for some guidelines.
Cables and chargers
Virtually all handheld devices come with a charger and a cable so that you can hook up your device to your PC.Veteran handheld users know that one charger and cable, though, are often not enough. You need a car charger for when you're on the road, and you probably want or need additional chargers and cables for work or other locations in which you normally have your handheld device.
Cell phone or wireless stores love this dilemma, of course, because they typically have a range of pricy chargers and cables ready to sell you. What they won't tell you is that you can often buy compatible chargers and cables for a lot less money from an online parts vendor such as Amazon or Newegg.com.
Take the example of the USB-tomicro-USB cable that a BlackBerry Curve owner needs in order to hook the device up to a PC. You can find these online for just a couple of dollars, but you might pay up to 10 times that amount if you purchase the cable from a wireless store.The same goes for car chargers. Shop around online and you'll likely come away with all of the extra chargers and cables you need for a fraction of what you'd pay for them at your cell phone dealer.
Memory
The majority of today's cell phones and smartphones also include digital camera, video, mp3 playing, and voice recording capabilities. And that means there's never enough storage space for all of those media files.
You can buy additional memory cards for most handhelds, but again, if you look in the wireless store for those, you'll pay more than you have to. Instead,find out the type of memory that your phone accepts and purchase it from a reasonably-priced online retailer. Instructions for inserting the new memory are usually included in the manual that came with your handheld device.
Shop around a bit, and you'll quickly find that adding lots of extra memory won't break the bank, either. The best price-to-capacity bargains today are with microSD cards of 8GB. Larger cards exist -32GB is currently the maximum capacity for the tiny microSD cards, although 64GB models are on the way.But the price jump from 8GB to 16GB is more than double. Expect to pay about $20 for an 8GB card and a bit more than double that for a 16GB model. Be sure your handheld device will recognise the capacity that you wish to use.
Screenprotectors
The screens on today's cell phones and smartphones seem to get bigger by the day. Indeed, devices such the iPhone and BlackBerry Storm are pretty much all screen, at least on one side. It's natural for new owners of such devices to want to protect those sparkling LCD screens with some type of clear film, and plenty of manufacturers have heeded the call and offer screen protectors of all sizes.Zagg's Invisible Shield (http://www.zagg.com) is one that's frequently cited for its quality.
Yet most of today's handheld devices come equipped with screens that are remarkably scratch and dent resistant.Log on to YouTube, and you can easily find videos of people who have gone to great lengths to prove this - attempting to scratch their iPhone or BlackBerry,for example, with a nail or knife, only to fail.
So you can probably forego the screen protectors - unless you want to use one for the back of the device. Owners frequently express dismay that the plastic backs of their handhelds are prone to scratches and fingerprints. If that bothers you, a screen protector may be the answer.
Headsets
If you need to talk hands-free in the car chances are you've looked at the Bluetooth headset or ear pieces that make this possible. The advice here is the same as it is with shopping for cables,chargers, or extra memory: shop around.Dozens of companies make Bluetooth headsets that are probably compatible with your handheld device. You'll pay a lot less by buying online than you will if you purchase the headset from your cell phone dealer.
Disinfectant wipes
You probably wash your hands regularly to avoid picking up or spreading germs. But do you wash your mobile device? The fact is our cell phones, PDAs,and smartphones are germ magnets in tests, they've proven to be competent carriers not just of cold and flu germs but of more dangerous hepatitis and staph viruses. One study even found a typical cell phone to be dirtier than a keyboard, toilet seat, or the bottom of your shoe.
How can you keep your cell phone as germ-free as possible without damaging the device with water? Perhaps the best accessory you can purchase are premoistened disinfectant wipes. They're available from many companies today and typically come in handy dispensers that you can keep at your office or home.If you choose instead to use a disinfectant spray to wipe the mobile device, be careful not to spray liquid directly onto the phone or device itself. Instead, spray the disinfectant onto a clean, lint-free rag or soft paper towel first, and then start wiping.
Insurance
Mobile devices fall victim to all sorts of mishaps - everything from being dropped onto concrete to being accidentally dunked in a cup of coffee. Your primary defense against such trouble is a good insurance policy.
But not all insurance policies are created equal, and in fact, the standard insurance policies sold at wireless stores - which typically involve a per-month fee in addition to your wireless rate can be among the worst. Before you sign up for one, be sure to read the fine print. Many such policies do not cover the most common cause of cell phone death, for example: water damage. Even a small amount of water that makes it way inside of your cell phone can completely destroy it.
So whenever a salesperson in a wireless store attempts to sell you an insurance policy, ask specifically whether water damage is covered.
Buy a cell phone, smartphone, or PDA today, and you'll quickly find that there is a plethora of products available that promise to make your experience with your handheld device better.
Some of these products are helpful,some are unnecessary, and some are downright indispensable. All of them,however, can be costly, especially if you're not careful about where you hand over your cash. So how can you separate the good deals from the bad? Read on for some guidelines.
Cables and chargers
Virtually all handheld devices come with a charger and a cable so that you can hook up your device to your PC.Veteran handheld users know that one charger and cable, though, are often not enough. You need a car charger for when you're on the road, and you probably want or need additional chargers and cables for work or other locations in which you normally have your handheld device.
Cell phone or wireless stores love this dilemma, of course, because they typically have a range of pricy chargers and cables ready to sell you. What they won't tell you is that you can often buy compatible chargers and cables for a lot less money from an online parts vendor such as Amazon or Newegg.com.
Take the example of the USB-tomicro-USB cable that a BlackBerry Curve owner needs in order to hook the device up to a PC. You can find these online for just a couple of dollars, but you might pay up to 10 times that amount if you purchase the cable from a wireless store.The same goes for car chargers. Shop around online and you'll likely come away with all of the extra chargers and cables you need for a fraction of what you'd pay for them at your cell phone dealer.
Memory
The majority of today's cell phones and smartphones also include digital camera, video, mp3 playing, and voice recording capabilities. And that means there's never enough storage space for all of those media files.
You can buy additional memory cards for most handhelds, but again, if you look in the wireless store for those, you'll pay more than you have to. Instead,find out the type of memory that your phone accepts and purchase it from a reasonably-priced online retailer. Instructions for inserting the new memory are usually included in the manual that came with your handheld device.
Shop around a bit, and you'll quickly find that adding lots of extra memory won't break the bank, either. The best price-to-capacity bargains today are with microSD cards of 8GB. Larger cards exist -32GB is currently the maximum capacity for the tiny microSD cards, although 64GB models are on the way.But the price jump from 8GB to 16GB is more than double. Expect to pay about $20 for an 8GB card and a bit more than double that for a 16GB model. Be sure your handheld device will recognise the capacity that you wish to use.
Screenprotectors
The screens on today's cell phones and smartphones seem to get bigger by the day. Indeed, devices such the iPhone and BlackBerry Storm are pretty much all screen, at least on one side. It's natural for new owners of such devices to want to protect those sparkling LCD screens with some type of clear film, and plenty of manufacturers have heeded the call and offer screen protectors of all sizes.Zagg's Invisible Shield (http://www.zagg.com) is one that's frequently cited for its quality.
Yet most of today's handheld devices come equipped with screens that are remarkably scratch and dent resistant.Log on to YouTube, and you can easily find videos of people who have gone to great lengths to prove this - attempting to scratch their iPhone or BlackBerry,for example, with a nail or knife, only to fail.
So you can probably forego the screen protectors - unless you want to use one for the back of the device. Owners frequently express dismay that the plastic backs of their handhelds are prone to scratches and fingerprints. If that bothers you, a screen protector may be the answer.
Headsets
If you need to talk hands-free in the car chances are you've looked at the Bluetooth headset or ear pieces that make this possible. The advice here is the same as it is with shopping for cables,chargers, or extra memory: shop around.Dozens of companies make Bluetooth headsets that are probably compatible with your handheld device. You'll pay a lot less by buying online than you will if you purchase the headset from your cell phone dealer.
Disinfectant wipes
You probably wash your hands regularly to avoid picking up or spreading germs. But do you wash your mobile device? The fact is our cell phones, PDAs,and smartphones are germ magnets in tests, they've proven to be competent carriers not just of cold and flu germs but of more dangerous hepatitis and staph viruses. One study even found a typical cell phone to be dirtier than a keyboard, toilet seat, or the bottom of your shoe.
How can you keep your cell phone as germ-free as possible without damaging the device with water? Perhaps the best accessory you can purchase are premoistened disinfectant wipes. They're available from many companies today and typically come in handy dispensers that you can keep at your office or home.If you choose instead to use a disinfectant spray to wipe the mobile device, be careful not to spray liquid directly onto the phone or device itself. Instead, spray the disinfectant onto a clean, lint-free rag or soft paper towel first, and then start wiping.
Insurance
Mobile devices fall victim to all sorts of mishaps - everything from being dropped onto concrete to being accidentally dunked in a cup of coffee. Your primary defense against such trouble is a good insurance policy.
But not all insurance policies are created equal, and in fact, the standard insurance policies sold at wireless stores - which typically involve a per-month fee in addition to your wireless rate can be among the worst. Before you sign up for one, be sure to read the fine print. Many such policies do not cover the most common cause of cell phone death, for example: water damage. Even a small amount of water that makes it way inside of your cell phone can completely destroy it.
So whenever a salesperson in a wireless store attempts to sell you an insurance policy, ask specifically whether water damage is covered.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
NEC, Hitachi, Casio merge phone units
Japanese high-tech makers NEC, Hitachi and Casio Computer said yesterday that they had agreed to merge their mobile phone businesses to cope with a slump in domestic sales and expand overseas.
Together they would have the second biggest slice of the Japanese mobile telephone handset market, ahead of Panasonic Corp but behind Sharp Corp,which has a one-quarter share.
They also aim to do something that Japanese cellphone makers have long struggled to achieve - build a significant presence overseas.
"The tie-up will strengthen our business, building a strong market position at home and expanding in the global marketplace," NEC Corp executive vice president Akihito Otake told a news conference."The merger is unavoidable at a time when the domestic market has nearly halved and faces an uncertain outlook," he added.
Most Japanese already own a mobile telephone and operators and handset manufacturers are facing growing challenges to boost revenue in a crowded market, particularly given the weak economy and shrinking population.
Japanese mobile telephone producers have had limited success so far overseas.Japan's mobile telephone market has evolved in a different way to other markets and handsets made here are designed specifically to meet Japanese preferences.
Competition is also emerging from foreign handset makers such as Apple,whose iPhone was launched in Japan by No. 3 operator Softbank last year.
The joint venture will initially be owned two-thirds by NEC Corp,17.3%by Casio Computer Co and 16.7% by Hitachi Ltd.
They aim to merge the operations by April 2010 and pump extra capital into the firm, boosting the stake of NEC to 70.7% and that of Casio to 20%. Hitachi's share will drop to 9.3%.
Together they plan to raise sales to 12 million handsets a year by early 2013-five million overseas. Currently just one quarter of their combined revenue comes from foreign markets.
"We aim to expand our revenue based on our technology since we are well aware that we can't compete in terms of price," said Otake.
NEC makes mobile phones for Japanese operators NTT DoCoMo and Softbank while Casio-Hitachi produce handsets for Japan's KDDI Corp and SoftBank, as well as Verizon Wireless of the United States and LG Telecom of South Korea.
Hitachi is restructuring after losing 787.3 billion yen ($8.7 billion) in the year to March - the biggest ever loss for a Japanese manufacturer.
It tied up with Casio in mobile handsets in 2004, but the venture fell into the red during the current global economic downturn.
NEC Corp, which lost 296.6 billion yen in the year to March, is cutting 20,000 jobs worldwide and withdrawing from the personal computer business in North America and Europe.
Together they would have the second biggest slice of the Japanese mobile telephone handset market, ahead of Panasonic Corp but behind Sharp Corp,which has a one-quarter share.
They also aim to do something that Japanese cellphone makers have long struggled to achieve - build a significant presence overseas.
"The tie-up will strengthen our business, building a strong market position at home and expanding in the global marketplace," NEC Corp executive vice president Akihito Otake told a news conference."The merger is unavoidable at a time when the domestic market has nearly halved and faces an uncertain outlook," he added.
Most Japanese already own a mobile telephone and operators and handset manufacturers are facing growing challenges to boost revenue in a crowded market, particularly given the weak economy and shrinking population.
Japanese mobile telephone producers have had limited success so far overseas.Japan's mobile telephone market has evolved in a different way to other markets and handsets made here are designed specifically to meet Japanese preferences.
Competition is also emerging from foreign handset makers such as Apple,whose iPhone was launched in Japan by No. 3 operator Softbank last year.
The joint venture will initially be owned two-thirds by NEC Corp,17.3%by Casio Computer Co and 16.7% by Hitachi Ltd.
They aim to merge the operations by April 2010 and pump extra capital into the firm, boosting the stake of NEC to 70.7% and that of Casio to 20%. Hitachi's share will drop to 9.3%.
Together they plan to raise sales to 12 million handsets a year by early 2013-five million overseas. Currently just one quarter of their combined revenue comes from foreign markets.
"We aim to expand our revenue based on our technology since we are well aware that we can't compete in terms of price," said Otake.
NEC makes mobile phones for Japanese operators NTT DoCoMo and Softbank while Casio-Hitachi produce handsets for Japan's KDDI Corp and SoftBank, as well as Verizon Wireless of the United States and LG Telecom of South Korea.
Hitachi is restructuring after losing 787.3 billion yen ($8.7 billion) in the year to March - the biggest ever loss for a Japanese manufacturer.
It tied up with Casio in mobile handsets in 2004, but the venture fell into the red during the current global economic downturn.
NEC Corp, which lost 296.6 billion yen in the year to March, is cutting 20,000 jobs worldwide and withdrawing from the personal computer business in North America and Europe.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
New Ovi Store to be part of Nokia's major makeover
Nokia is spearheading a new breed of its Ovi Applications Store in a hope of creating a one-stop digital application bazaar and supporting its own multimedia devices.
The Finnish world market leader in handsets hopes the online media and software hub will be a boon for itself as well as consumers, content developers and operators.
The move is a direct response to Apple's App Store for the iPhone, and is expected to spur a rapid evolution in the way people use mobile phones. The policy also reflects how the focus of the mobile-phone industry has shifted from devices to software and services.
While Nokia will certainly face an uphill struggle in creating a next wave of its own mobile applications and services in competition with the Apple App Store,it is also taking up another challenge by introducing its spin on the laptop, called the Booklet 3G.
The 10.1-inch HD-display mini laptop is priced at 575(28,500 baht), weighs one kilogramme and has a battery life of up to 12 hours.
At the recent Nokia World 2009 in Stuttgart, Nokia announced a wide range of novelties including a Beta version of Ovi Maps for S605th Edition phones,the Ovi Lifecasting feature and Social Messaging Beta for Nokia Messaging.
Ovi Maps gives users one-touch access to a variety of new content and services through maps.ovi.com. The new personalised services integrate the user's location and surroundings.
An extension of Nokia Messaging called Social Messaging Beta, which can run on the N97 and Nokia 6700 classic,will enable users to tap into multicommunity social networking to share status updates and photos from the camera or gallery and share current locations or view friends' locations. Ovi Lifecasting enables users to share their locations with their Facebook friends.
Ovi Store offers 4,500 applications including games, videos, widgets,location-based applications and personalised content under the Social Location (SoLo) concept. It allows users to download free and paid content and applications. Nokia also officially announced a lineup of new smartphones - the N900 and N97 Mini priced at 450- and the music phones Nokia X6 priced at 450 and X3 priced at 115.
CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said Nokia expected 300 million Ovi subscribers by 2012, up from 55 million across 100 Nokia devices in 180 countries currently."Nokia Ovi was an incredible success, with up to 1 million accounts activated in the past six months," he said.
"This economy of scale through web technology will level the playing field for Nokia, create 'ecosystems', and make Ovi Store a very compelling channel for developers and content publishers to enhance their service offering. It is critical for Nokia's future."
Up to 1.1 billion people use Nokia phones out of 4 billion mobile-phone users globally. In comparison, about 1.6 billion people have bank accounts and 1 billion use credit cards.
The Ovi Store is set to change the whole new digital application platform and spark a rapid evolution in the mobile industry, said Mr Kallasvuo.
Nokia plans to develop more applications and services as well as compatible devices to accommodate downloading demand. It signalled the determination to catch up with Apple by hosting a global developer competition called Calling All Innovators at its Forum Nokia 2009 in Stuttgart. More than 1,700 submissions were received from developers and publishers in 85 countries.
Categories include web applications and runtime widgets, Adobe Flash Litebased applications, emerging-market services and location-aware services utilising Ovi Maps.
The Finnish world market leader in handsets hopes the online media and software hub will be a boon for itself as well as consumers, content developers and operators.
The move is a direct response to Apple's App Store for the iPhone, and is expected to spur a rapid evolution in the way people use mobile phones. The policy also reflects how the focus of the mobile-phone industry has shifted from devices to software and services.
While Nokia will certainly face an uphill struggle in creating a next wave of its own mobile applications and services in competition with the Apple App Store,it is also taking up another challenge by introducing its spin on the laptop, called the Booklet 3G.
The 10.1-inch HD-display mini laptop is priced at 575(28,500 baht), weighs one kilogramme and has a battery life of up to 12 hours.
At the recent Nokia World 2009 in Stuttgart, Nokia announced a wide range of novelties including a Beta version of Ovi Maps for S605th Edition phones,the Ovi Lifecasting feature and Social Messaging Beta for Nokia Messaging.
Ovi Maps gives users one-touch access to a variety of new content and services through maps.ovi.com. The new personalised services integrate the user's location and surroundings.
An extension of Nokia Messaging called Social Messaging Beta, which can run on the N97 and Nokia 6700 classic,will enable users to tap into multicommunity social networking to share status updates and photos from the camera or gallery and share current locations or view friends' locations. Ovi Lifecasting enables users to share their locations with their Facebook friends.
Ovi Store offers 4,500 applications including games, videos, widgets,location-based applications and personalised content under the Social Location (SoLo) concept. It allows users to download free and paid content and applications. Nokia also officially announced a lineup of new smartphones - the N900 and N97 Mini priced at 450- and the music phones Nokia X6 priced at 450 and X3 priced at 115.
CEO Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo said Nokia expected 300 million Ovi subscribers by 2012, up from 55 million across 100 Nokia devices in 180 countries currently."Nokia Ovi was an incredible success, with up to 1 million accounts activated in the past six months," he said.
"This economy of scale through web technology will level the playing field for Nokia, create 'ecosystems', and make Ovi Store a very compelling channel for developers and content publishers to enhance their service offering. It is critical for Nokia's future."
Up to 1.1 billion people use Nokia phones out of 4 billion mobile-phone users globally. In comparison, about 1.6 billion people have bank accounts and 1 billion use credit cards.
The Ovi Store is set to change the whole new digital application platform and spark a rapid evolution in the mobile industry, said Mr Kallasvuo.
Nokia plans to develop more applications and services as well as compatible devices to accommodate downloading demand. It signalled the determination to catch up with Apple by hosting a global developer competition called Calling All Innovators at its Forum Nokia 2009 in Stuttgart. More than 1,700 submissions were received from developers and publishers in 85 countries.
Categories include web applications and runtime widgets, Adobe Flash Litebased applications, emerging-market services and location-aware services utilising Ovi Maps.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Settrade launches iPhone trading application
Settrade yesterday launched an iPhone online trading application to tap the growth in internet stock trading.
Announcing the new iPhone application, from left: Kirati Kosicharoen, SET head of information services; Santi Kiranand, a SET group head for market development; Sopawadee Lertmanaschai, a SET chief marketing officer; Adhiruth Thothaveesansuk, True Corp managing director; and Pichit Thanyodom, True chief information officer.
Settrade Streaming is a fast trading channel for investors to monitor the real-time stock market and to instantly trade and conveniently manage their investment portfolios, said Sopawadee Lertmanaschai, the SET chief marketing officer for markets and post-trade services.
The application works with 26 retail brokers, who see online trading as a way to offer more convenient trading services and to cut their personnel costs. Currently, 29 brokers offer online trading services, which also have commission rates as low as 0.15% compared with 0.25% for normal trades.
Investors are looking for more convenient stock trading channels and internet trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand has grown constantly, said Ms Sopawadee.
In the first eight months of 2009, online trading accounted for about 20.51% of total trading volume, up from an average of 16.12% last year. Online trading accounts totalled 224,842 at the end of August, up from 189,348 at the end of 2008.
"With this rising trend, it's possible that we will see growth of 30% in online trading this year," said Ms Sopawadee.
Apple's iconic iPhone accounts for about 65% of all online users accessing settrade.com through a mobile phone.
Since its pre-launch late last month to test the market, Settrade Streaming has become one of the eight most popular downloads in Thailand, with about 80% of its downloads being made locally, said Adhiruth Thothaveesansuk, a managing director of True Corp.
As a local distributor of Apple products, True has helped Settrade to make its new application available globally in Apple's application store.
Montri Sornpaisarn, CEO of Kim Eng Securities, said the new application increased the choice for online customers, which includes Kim Eng's KETrade. Nearly 1,000 accounts were opened in August for Kim Eng, twice the usual amount, he said.
Investors can download the application free of charge but must pay internet usage costs as well as a minimum online commission fee, which ranges from 0.15% for cash balance or credit balance accounts to a minimum of 0.2% for other accounts. The application supports users of the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch 2nd Generation.
Announcing the new iPhone application, from left: Kirati Kosicharoen, SET head of information services; Santi Kiranand, a SET group head for market development; Sopawadee Lertmanaschai, a SET chief marketing officer; Adhiruth Thothaveesansuk, True Corp managing director; and Pichit Thanyodom, True chief information officer.
Settrade Streaming is a fast trading channel for investors to monitor the real-time stock market and to instantly trade and conveniently manage their investment portfolios, said Sopawadee Lertmanaschai, the SET chief marketing officer for markets and post-trade services.
The application works with 26 retail brokers, who see online trading as a way to offer more convenient trading services and to cut their personnel costs. Currently, 29 brokers offer online trading services, which also have commission rates as low as 0.15% compared with 0.25% for normal trades.
Investors are looking for more convenient stock trading channels and internet trading on the Stock Exchange of Thailand has grown constantly, said Ms Sopawadee.
In the first eight months of 2009, online trading accounted for about 20.51% of total trading volume, up from an average of 16.12% last year. Online trading accounts totalled 224,842 at the end of August, up from 189,348 at the end of 2008.
"With this rising trend, it's possible that we will see growth of 30% in online trading this year," said Ms Sopawadee.
Apple's iconic iPhone accounts for about 65% of all online users accessing settrade.com through a mobile phone.
Since its pre-launch late last month to test the market, Settrade Streaming has become one of the eight most popular downloads in Thailand, with about 80% of its downloads being made locally, said Adhiruth Thothaveesansuk, a managing director of True Corp.
As a local distributor of Apple products, True has helped Settrade to make its new application available globally in Apple's application store.
Montri Sornpaisarn, CEO of Kim Eng Securities, said the new application increased the choice for online customers, which includes Kim Eng's KETrade. Nearly 1,000 accounts were opened in August for Kim Eng, twice the usual amount, he said.
Investors can download the application free of charge but must pay internet usage costs as well as a minimum online commission fee, which ranges from 0.15% for cash balance or credit balance accounts to a minimum of 0.2% for other accounts. The application supports users of the Apple iPhone and iPod Touch 2nd Generation.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
T-Mobile, Orange in UK merger deal
Deutsche Telekom AG and France Telecom SA said yesterday they intended to combine their British mobile phone units - T-Mobile UK and Orange UK - to form the country's biggest mobile operator.
Deutsche Telekom said the two companies have entered exclusive negotiations on combining its struggling UK unit with France Telecom's in a 50-50 joint venture.
The announcement follows reports that Telefonica of Spain, owner of UK market leader O2, and No.2 Vodafone Group PLC had made informal offers of about ฃ4 billion ($6.5 billion) for T-Mobile.
The combined company would have a customer base of 28.4 mobile phone users, or about 37% of UK mobile subscribers at the end of 2008.
That would overtake O2, which has a 27% share of the UK market. Vodafone is second with 25%. Orange has 22%,T-Mobile 15% and Hutchison Whampoa's 3 has 8%.
In May, Deutsche Telekom reported a first-quarter loss of 1.1 billion ($1.58 billion) which it blamed in part on intensifying competition, especially in the UK.
Jonathan Groocock, an analyst at Investec Securities, said a deal could benefit the entire British mobile sector.
"The final outcome would be improved market returns for all parties as margins could stabilise," he said in a research note to clients.
The proposed deal "is expected to create substantial value for both shareholders," Deutsche Telekom said in a statement. It added that it expected the merger to generate synergies with a net present value of more than ฃ3.5 billion ($5.7 billion).
Signing of a deal is expected at the end of October, and its completion would be subject to approval by antitrust authorities, Deutsche Telekom said.
The business had combined 2008 revenue of some ฃ7.7 billion and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of ฃ1.7 billion, Deutsche Telekom said.
Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom said it would contribute T-Mobile UK to the merged firm "on a cash-free, debt-free basis," including the British unit's 50%holding in a 3G network joint venture with Hutchison and gross tax losses carried forward of at least ฃ1.5 billion.
France Telecom would contribute Orange UK, including ฃ1.25 billion of intragroup net debt,"in order to equalise the value of the contributions to the joint venture," the statement said.
Once the deal closes, Deutsche Telekom would grant a ฃ625 million shareholder loan to the joint venture, which it said would be used to reimburse ฃ625 million to France Telecom.
The joint venture would have total debt of ฃ1.25 billion, represented by shareholder loans of ฃ625 million each held by Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom, the statement said.
Deutsche Telekom said the two companies have entered exclusive negotiations on combining its struggling UK unit with France Telecom's in a 50-50 joint venture.
The announcement follows reports that Telefonica of Spain, owner of UK market leader O2, and No.2 Vodafone Group PLC had made informal offers of about ฃ4 billion ($6.5 billion) for T-Mobile.
The combined company would have a customer base of 28.4 mobile phone users, or about 37% of UK mobile subscribers at the end of 2008.
That would overtake O2, which has a 27% share of the UK market. Vodafone is second with 25%. Orange has 22%,T-Mobile 15% and Hutchison Whampoa's 3 has 8%.
In May, Deutsche Telekom reported a first-quarter loss of 1.1 billion ($1.58 billion) which it blamed in part on intensifying competition, especially in the UK.
Jonathan Groocock, an analyst at Investec Securities, said a deal could benefit the entire British mobile sector.
"The final outcome would be improved market returns for all parties as margins could stabilise," he said in a research note to clients.
The proposed deal "is expected to create substantial value for both shareholders," Deutsche Telekom said in a statement. It added that it expected the merger to generate synergies with a net present value of more than ฃ3.5 billion ($5.7 billion).
Signing of a deal is expected at the end of October, and its completion would be subject to approval by antitrust authorities, Deutsche Telekom said.
The business had combined 2008 revenue of some ฃ7.7 billion and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation of ฃ1.7 billion, Deutsche Telekom said.
Bonn-based Deutsche Telekom said it would contribute T-Mobile UK to the merged firm "on a cash-free, debt-free basis," including the British unit's 50%holding in a 3G network joint venture with Hutchison and gross tax losses carried forward of at least ฃ1.5 billion.
France Telecom would contribute Orange UK, including ฃ1.25 billion of intragroup net debt,"in order to equalise the value of the contributions to the joint venture," the statement said.
Once the deal closes, Deutsche Telekom would grant a ฃ625 million shareholder loan to the joint venture, which it said would be used to reimburse ฃ625 million to France Telecom.
The joint venture would have total debt of ฃ1.25 billion, represented by shareholder loans of ฃ625 million each held by Deutsche Telekom and France Telecom, the statement said.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
NOKIA HITS BACK AT "SMART" RIVALS
Company's ageing product line is finding less favour with customers
Faced with increased competition from up-and-coming rivals, Finnish telecom giant Nokia plans to launch a slew of new products this year, but analysts say it position as the world's number one mobile-phone manufacturer.
To fight back against Apple's iPhone and RIM's Blackberry, Nokia announced plans to launch three new smartphones with touch screens, a portable notebook PC, and a tie up with microsoft to use its popular Office software on its handsets.
Industry observers criticised the Finnish giant for its ageing product line and for not bringing smartphones to market quickly enough to take on their up-and-coming rivals.
Analysts interviewed by AFP agreed that Nokia had not yet found a product to chalenge the iPhone as most new Nokia devices use an outdated operating system to drive their phones.
"It is going to be 2011 before they have the right software to make a really competitive product," said Richard Windsor, a London-based technology analyst for Nomura Securities.
It slatest smartphone, the N97, has achieved modest sales so far compared to the iPhone.
Technology consultancy Gartner estimates Nokia has sold just 500,000 of them worldwide since its launch in June. Apples new third-generation iPhone sold one million units in its first weekend on sale.
Nokia needs its new models to be a success, smartphones, handsets with high-speed Internet access, are are the fastest growing segmant in the mobile phone market and their higher price tags mean they carry higher profit margins than cheaper, more basic models.
The Finnish giant's share of this lucrative segment has ebbed away in recent months. In the second quarter of 2009, it sold 45 per cent of all 40 million smartphones sold worldwide.
That compares to 47.4 per cent of 32 million handsets at the same time last year, accordiing to Gartner data.
"The right high-end product and an increased focus on services and content are vital for Nokia if it wants to both revamp its brand and please investors," wrote Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi in a research not to clients.
In addition to its partnershiip with Mocrosoft, Nokia with social networking site Facebook to develop new services.
"They have ralised that for certain things it makes sense to partner," said Ben Wood, reserach director at CCS Insight.
Apple also beat Nokia in drawing in additional revenue from the sale of online applications: ringtones, videos, games and other Internet gadgets.
"Nokia cannot create one kiler product to beat Apple or Google. Nokia has to creat an experience or a solution that is so compelling that a consumer says 'I like the whole proposition,"" said Wood.
Nokia's chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told reporters on Wednesday that these and-on sevices were "critical to our future" and that his company wanted to make smartphones more affordable to a wider range of people.
But that will be a hard sell in the current economic climate.
The global financial crisis has weakened demand for mobile phone sales after six years of uninterrupted growth.
Nokia, which has 1.1 billion customers worldwdie, posted a 66-per-cent drop in net profit in the second quarter of 2009 and a nearly 25-per-cent decline in revenues on a 12-month basis.
In a bid to restore the company to profitability, a cost-cutting programme was launched in January aimed at reducing Nokia's workforce by some 4,000.
Faced with increased competition from up-and-coming rivals, Finnish telecom giant Nokia plans to launch a slew of new products this year, but analysts say it position as the world's number one mobile-phone manufacturer.
To fight back against Apple's iPhone and RIM's Blackberry, Nokia announced plans to launch three new smartphones with touch screens, a portable notebook PC, and a tie up with microsoft to use its popular Office software on its handsets.
Industry observers criticised the Finnish giant for its ageing product line and for not bringing smartphones to market quickly enough to take on their up-and-coming rivals.
Analysts interviewed by AFP agreed that Nokia had not yet found a product to chalenge the iPhone as most new Nokia devices use an outdated operating system to drive their phones.
"It is going to be 2011 before they have the right software to make a really competitive product," said Richard Windsor, a London-based technology analyst for Nomura Securities.
It slatest smartphone, the N97, has achieved modest sales so far compared to the iPhone.
Technology consultancy Gartner estimates Nokia has sold just 500,000 of them worldwide since its launch in June. Apples new third-generation iPhone sold one million units in its first weekend on sale.
Nokia needs its new models to be a success, smartphones, handsets with high-speed Internet access, are are the fastest growing segmant in the mobile phone market and their higher price tags mean they carry higher profit margins than cheaper, more basic models.
The Finnish giant's share of this lucrative segment has ebbed away in recent months. In the second quarter of 2009, it sold 45 per cent of all 40 million smartphones sold worldwide.
That compares to 47.4 per cent of 32 million handsets at the same time last year, accordiing to Gartner data.
"The right high-end product and an increased focus on services and content are vital for Nokia if it wants to both revamp its brand and please investors," wrote Gartner analyst Carolina Milanesi in a research not to clients.
In addition to its partnershiip with Mocrosoft, Nokia with social networking site Facebook to develop new services.
"They have ralised that for certain things it makes sense to partner," said Ben Wood, reserach director at CCS Insight.
Apple also beat Nokia in drawing in additional revenue from the sale of online applications: ringtones, videos, games and other Internet gadgets.
"Nokia cannot create one kiler product to beat Apple or Google. Nokia has to creat an experience or a solution that is so compelling that a consumer says 'I like the whole proposition,"" said Wood.
Nokia's chief executive Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo told reporters on Wednesday that these and-on sevices were "critical to our future" and that his company wanted to make smartphones more affordable to a wider range of people.
But that will be a hard sell in the current economic climate.
The global financial crisis has weakened demand for mobile phone sales after six years of uninterrupted growth.
Nokia, which has 1.1 billion customers worldwdie, posted a 66-per-cent drop in net profit in the second quarter of 2009 and a nearly 25-per-cent decline in revenues on a 12-month basis.
In a bid to restore the company to profitability, a cost-cutting programme was launched in January aimed at reducing Nokia's workforce by some 4,000.
A HERO'S WELCOME
[WHAT] Launch of the new HTC Hero phone.
[WHERE] Funky Villa.
[HOST] Nattawat Woranopakul, country manager of HTC (Thailand).
[HIGHLIGHT] Sense of a Hero Party featuring celebrities such as Pattriya Na Nakorn, Tachapol Chumduang (Tune AF3), Marisa Annita and Holly Amranand; a special dance show from super models, lead by Marisa Annita.
Nattawat Woranopakul (centre) welcomes celebrities of the night, Pattriya Na Nakorn (left) and Tachapol Chumduang.
Jay Spencer, Supattra Prakaisiri and Jareyadee Thamavit.
Holly Amranand.
Marisa Annita, sexy hero.
Pichayanund Chindahporn and Valeerat Singkivibul.
Opal-Panisara Phimpru
[WHERE] Funky Villa.
[HOST] Nattawat Woranopakul, country manager of HTC (Thailand).
[HIGHLIGHT] Sense of a Hero Party featuring celebrities such as Pattriya Na Nakorn, Tachapol Chumduang (Tune AF3), Marisa Annita and Holly Amranand; a special dance show from super models, lead by Marisa Annita.
Nattawat Woranopakul (centre) welcomes celebrities of the night, Pattriya Na Nakorn (left) and Tachapol Chumduang.
Jay Spencer, Supattra Prakaisiri and Jareyadee Thamavit.
Holly Amranand.
Marisa Annita, sexy hero.
Pichayanund Chindahporn and Valeerat Singkivibul.
Opal-Panisara Phimpru
Thursday, September 3, 2009
HTC HERO
HTC HERO The mobile phone apocalypse: it's happening and you don't know it because, err, no one has called or SMSed to tell you. But be warned that the destruction has commenced, and we'll soon become enslaved by phone overlords.
Don't chuck your cell in the khlong ,hoping parasites will annihilate it though. Phones have already brainwashed us. Our mobile masters have allied with the all-mighty "inebriation",causing us to execute humiliating text messages and calls.
Mobiles emit powerful rays known as "radiation","spam messages" and "annoying ringtones", weakening our resolve to fight against them.
When our strength deteriorates, phones will go in for the kill. iPhones and BlackBerries will mate to create the "iBerry",tricking us into thinking their mutant offspring is an ice cream, so it can secretly mutate into life-size forms.
As the phone apocalypse gains momentum, can the Hero save us?This possible saviour comes from a distant planet known as HTC. The Hero wards off enemies with its tough Teflon coating, and mocks grime with a smudge-repelling layer. It has a protruding "chin" at the bottom of the phone to pulverise the antenna off its foes.
The Hero works with Google's Android operating system, to create a use-interface weapon called HTC Sense.
Together, this technological army customises the phone by linking data effortlessly. It's also the first phone that can handle Adobe Flash to blind its rivals.
Waging war on cell phone predators, the Hero integrates all contact information. That means when mutants are close, the Hero retrieves not only the phone number of the enemy, but also messages, e-mails, photos,and social networking information on a single screen.Nothing scares away marauders more than an embarrassing Facebook photo.
Don't doubt the power of the 3.2-inch touchscreen Hero. It will liberate us when Earth transforms into a giant cell phone tower.
Don't chuck your cell in the khlong ,hoping parasites will annihilate it though. Phones have already brainwashed us. Our mobile masters have allied with the all-mighty "inebriation",causing us to execute humiliating text messages and calls.
Mobiles emit powerful rays known as "radiation","spam messages" and "annoying ringtones", weakening our resolve to fight against them.
When our strength deteriorates, phones will go in for the kill. iPhones and BlackBerries will mate to create the "iBerry",tricking us into thinking their mutant offspring is an ice cream, so it can secretly mutate into life-size forms.
As the phone apocalypse gains momentum, can the Hero save us?This possible saviour comes from a distant planet known as HTC. The Hero wards off enemies with its tough Teflon coating, and mocks grime with a smudge-repelling layer. It has a protruding "chin" at the bottom of the phone to pulverise the antenna off its foes.
The Hero works with Google's Android operating system, to create a use-interface weapon called HTC Sense.
Together, this technological army customises the phone by linking data effortlessly. It's also the first phone that can handle Adobe Flash to blind its rivals.
Waging war on cell phone predators, the Hero integrates all contact information. That means when mutants are close, the Hero retrieves not only the phone number of the enemy, but also messages, e-mails, photos,and social networking information on a single screen.Nothing scares away marauders more than an embarrassing Facebook photo.
Don't doubt the power of the 3.2-inch touchscreen Hero. It will liberate us when Earth transforms into a giant cell phone tower.
Conferencing via mobile phones
The Centre for Network Research of Songkhla University is expected to complete the development of the open-standard application for enabling mobile phone-based conferencing in November.
The project is funded by the Telecommunications Research and Industrial Development Istitute (Tridi) of the National Telecommunications Commission.
Assoc Professor Sinchai Kamolphiwong, director of the CNR, said yesterday that Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Move are interested in trying out the application, which was designed to run on the next generation network (NGN).
NGN supports combined voice, data and media service simultaneously and effectively.
Tridi had invited AIS, True Move, TOT and CAT Telecom to discuss with the CNR lab which kinds of specific NGN applications the telecom operators want the lab to focus its research and development (R&D) on.
The move will let the lab develop applications that fit well with telecom industry demand.
Tridi director Supot Tiarawut said that if the application proves successful and could be marketed commercially, it would benefit the country by promoting the use of locally-made telecom equipment.
That would help the country reduce imports of expensive telecom equipment and save on foreign exchange.
The move is in line with the Tridi's key role of collaborating with the public and private sectors in promoting telecom R&D through its funding.
The NTC set up the Tridi in 2000 to foster local telecom R&D and telecom humanresource development, with a focus on the next-generation network, broadband, optical communications and Voice over Internet Protocol service industries.
This year, Tridi granted Bt40 million to nine labs of leading educational institutions to further telecom R&D.
Of the total grants, CNR received Bt4.6 million. The university set up CNR in 2002. The centre currently has around 70 researchers.
The project is funded by the Telecommunications Research and Industrial Development Istitute (Tridi) of the National Telecommunications Commission.
Assoc Professor Sinchai Kamolphiwong, director of the CNR, said yesterday that Advanced Info Service (AIS) and True Move are interested in trying out the application, which was designed to run on the next generation network (NGN).
NGN supports combined voice, data and media service simultaneously and effectively.
Tridi had invited AIS, True Move, TOT and CAT Telecom to discuss with the CNR lab which kinds of specific NGN applications the telecom operators want the lab to focus its research and development (R&D) on.
The move will let the lab develop applications that fit well with telecom industry demand.
Tridi director Supot Tiarawut said that if the application proves successful and could be marketed commercially, it would benefit the country by promoting the use of locally-made telecom equipment.
That would help the country reduce imports of expensive telecom equipment and save on foreign exchange.
The move is in line with the Tridi's key role of collaborating with the public and private sectors in promoting telecom R&D through its funding.
The NTC set up the Tridi in 2000 to foster local telecom R&D and telecom humanresource development, with a focus on the next-generation network, broadband, optical communications and Voice over Internet Protocol service industries.
This year, Tridi granted Bt40 million to nine labs of leading educational institutions to further telecom R&D.
Of the total grants, CNR received Bt4.6 million. The university set up CNR in 2002. The centre currently has around 70 researchers.
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